Improvement in locomotive-axles



D. WILLIAMS.

Car Axle.

N0. 34,175. Patented Jan. 14, 1862.

Witnesses: v Inventor: a

AM. PHOTO -LITHO.O. N.Y.(0SBORNE'5 PRDCES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DYER WILLIAMS, OF SYRACUSE, NEIV YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN LOCOMOTlVE-AXLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 34,175, dated January 14, 1862.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DYER WILLIAMS, of Syracuse, county of Onondaga, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Crank-Axles of Locomotives for Railroad Purposes; and I do hereby declare and ascertain my said invention, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a locomotiveboiler, showing the position of the crank-axl.e. Fig. 2 is a cross section representing the crank-axle and driving-wheels. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the crankaxle, showing parts in section. Figs. 4 and 5 are views of a crank-arm detached.

My invention consists in the improvement of the crank-axles of locomotives, and is applicable only to locomotive-engines with sunk crank-axles. IIeretofore the only method employed for constructing crank-axles for locomotives has been to forge the axle in one piece out of a bloom or ingot at very great expense, and forging projections at proper points, which were afterward slotted out to form the sunk cranks. By this mode of construction the fibers of the iron were much twisted and contorted, and in slotting out the sunk cranks the fibers of the iron were cut off, and the structure thus materially weakened, rendering the axle constantly liable to fracture, which, owing to the expense of manufacture, costs large expenditures per annum for repairs. It has always been assumed that this mode of construction was absolutely necessary, owing to the stiffness required and the strain to be brought upon the. axle of a powerful locomotive, which, notwithstanding the expensive costs of the crank-axle, was liable to have its driving-wheels forced out of line when drawing heavy loads. It has always been supposed by engineers and manufacturers of locomotives that a crank-axle would increase the defects of the solid axle and be worthless for practical purposes.

After much labor and expense I have succeeded in making axles for locomotives in parts, by which I have attained manyimportant advantages, makinga stiifer and cheaper axle than the solid one, that can be easily and cheaply repaired, and is much stronger than those heretofore made, never perceptibly yielding with the heaviest loads upon it.

The construction is as follows: I form the axle B BE in three separate pieces. The crank-arms A A are also forged separate, as are the crank-wrists D. The crank-arms are shrunk or pressed upon the parts of the axle J J, which are shouldered to fitthem, as clearly represented in Fig. 3. The crank-wrists D are similarly connected with the outer ends of the crank-arms A A at 0. Keys I I give a further security and permanence to the structure. By these means Ihave succeeded in making a more perfect crank-axle for 10- comotives than has ever before been attained and one that has hitherto been deemed impracticable.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The i Improvement of locomotive-engines by the employment of a crank-axle constructed in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

DYER WILLIAMS.

In presence of- M. G. HUBBARD, EDsoN BONNEY. 

